Cash-register.



No. 628,262. Patented July 4, I899. G. R. ELLIS.

CASH REGISTER.

(Application filed May 7, 1896.?

(No Model.)

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ball, as in Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. ELLIS, OF GREENFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUN MANU FAOTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,262, dated July 4, 1899. Application filed May 7,1896. Serial No. 590,532. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. ELLIS, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Greenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gash-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of cashregisters in which each sale is indicated by numbered tablets at the time made and the sales registered by tally-balls, which are carried by the operation of the keys from a storage tube or receptacle and deposited in grooves in the register-tray, the side of each groove being suitably numbered in order that the total amount of sales registered may be readily determined at any time. Its object is to provide simple means by which the keys after being depressed cannot be returned to theirnormal position until the tablet carrying the number corresponding to the number of the key has been brought to view and the tally-ball carried by the key-lever is deposited in one of the grooves of the registertray.

The object of my invention 1 attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate in detail my invention as applied to a well-known form of cash-register. The cash-register case, being of a wellknown form, is omitted and only so much of the framework which carries the operative mechanism as is necessary to illustrate my invention is shown.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure 1 is a detail view, in vertical longitudinal section, taken inside one of the frame ends and illustrating the operative mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the same with parts removed from the rear and upper cross-piece to more clearly expose the parts below. Fig. 3 is a modified form of the view shown in Fig. 1, taken in the same plane. In this view the tablet is held in the elevated position by well-known means instead of by the tally- Fig. 4 is a detail view, in front elevation, of the upper end of the ballcarrying arm of the key-lever.

The framework which carries the operative mechanism consists of the side piece A, the cross connecting bars or webs a, a, and a which are usually cast in a single piece, the brackets a secured to the outer and upper rear corner of the side pieces to support the cap-piece A, which extends across the rear upper end of the frame, and the grooved register-tray B, which is supported upon the top of the cast-metal frame. The front web a of the oast-metal frame has formed in its upper surface depressionsa, which register with the grooves 19 in the register-tray and also with the forward ends of the rearwardly and downwardly inclined tubes 0, the forward and beveled ends of which are seated in the bottom of the depressions a and the rear ends of which pass through perforations in the transverse web the tubes being held in place at their forward ends by wires 1), which bind them to the perforated flange projeoting inwardly from the web or bar a. The

web a has a rearwardly-projecting flange from its lower corner, which is notched to guide the angle-arm (Z of'the key-lever D, and the transverse web a, in addition to bracing the sides of the metal frame, serves as a stop for the key-lever D.

The parts as above referred to are substantially the same as those now in common use and will be fully understood after my invention and its operation in connection with said parts are fully explained.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the key-levers D, of which there may be any number desired, depending upon the width of the frame and the different characters or numerals required for the particular register, are journaled upon a transverse shaft d, which passes across the front of the frame and is supported in side pieces A. Each of these key-levers has an upturned forward end terminating in a finger-piece (P, which is numbered in the usual manner. The rear end of each lever has a segmental arm d, which has a rearwardly-projecting arm 01 to carry the rod (1, which passes through a perforation in the cap and carries the tablet d, the number of which corresponds to the number on the finger piece or key, which tablet is exposed to view when the lever is thrown up, as shown in full line, and which carries the tablet out of View when the key falls back to its normal position. Theupper end of the arm d has a semicircular depression in front of it, which, when the lever is in its lowest position, as shown in dotted line, receives one of the tallyballs E from the end of the tube 0, and when the key is depressed carries the ball up and deposits it in one of the grooves?) of the register-tray B. This operating-lever in its arrangement for carrying one ball at a time from the tube 0 and depositing it in one of the grooves of the registry-tray when a key is depressed until stopped by the transverse bar a is well known in its general construction, except as I have modified it to eoact with my ball-tripping mechanism, the modification consisting substantially in grooving or slotting the upper portion of arm 01 to permit it to pass in its upward or downward movement the ball-tripping detents, which detents are actuated in one direction by the ball carried in the upper slotted jaw of said arm (I, the ball itselfactuating the detents to permit the depression of the key and preclude the possibility of the key being returned to its normal position until the ball carried in the jaw at the upper end of the arm dis deposited in one of the grooves b of the registering-tray. It will thus be seen that the tally-balls themselves are utilized as actuating devices, so that it is impossible to manipulate the machine and expose a tablet without carrying a tally-ball into its proper groove in the tray, and that the tablets cannot be exposed to view by depressing a key unless a ball is carried into the jaws of the segmental arm CE, and that when the key is manipulated with a ball in it to throw back the swinging arms the ball cannot return to the delivery-tray, but must be thrown to its upper position, fall into one of the registering-troughs, and the proper register made. A tablet cannot therefore be exposed until a ball is carried to such a position that it cannot be returned to the cabinet, but must pass into the registering-tray before the key can be again manipulated.

There are in the form shown in 1 two pawls or arms F and G, both of which are pivoted upon a transverse shaft f, the opposite ends of which enter perforations in the sides A. These arms are in a vertical plane between each of the tubes 0 and the grooves Z) in the register-tray B, and each is pressed upon its inner edge by the free ends of the springf, which is coiled around a rod or shaft f, the opposite ends of which are secured in the sides A, there being, of course, one spring to each set of arms, and the inner ends of both of thearms F and G are grooved to seat the free ends of the spring.

The arm F has a cam f projecting from its rear face into the groove or slot in the'anglearm d of the lever D, and inthe slot in the arm G is pivoted a gravity-pawl g, which, like the upper end of the arm G, also projects into the groove or slot in said arm (7.

It will be soon that when one or any number of the keys is depressed the ball or balls held in the upper jaw of the arm 02 will be carried'up with it and first striking the cam f of the arm F will force said arm inward, permit the ball to pass it, and in its upper passage the ball will throw up the pawl g, which will drop to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, when the ball has passed it. The key being further pressed to carry the ball up above the groove in the tray will press inward the upper end g of the arm G, which when the ball has passed this point will be thrown back by its spring f to the position shown. The ball when it is thrown to the upper position, as shown in Fig. 1,will be held or stopped from passing into the groove of the tray by the swinging gate H, which has up wardly-projecting perforated lugs to receive pins, by which it is swung or pivoted to the forward edge of the cap-piece A, and is held in its normal position by a spring h, which is so cured to the face of said cap-piece and has its free end bearing upon the face of the gate. Should the operator only press the key down partially or far enough to press the pawl y, it could not be returned to its normal position,

because the ball resting upon the upper edge of the pawl and being larger in diameter than the slot in the jaw would look the arm in that position, and if the key was depressed to its fullest extent the ball resting upon the upper edge of the arm would look the key-lever in its depressed position until the gate was swung outwardly against the pressure of its spring to release the ball and let it travel down the groove in the register-tray. The numbered tablets d carried by the rod d would be but partially exposed to View if the arm 61 were locked by the ball resting upon the pawl g, but wiil be thrown into full view when the arm is locked by the ball resting upon the upper edge of the pivoted arm G so long as the gate H holds the ball from dropping into the groove Z); but the moment the gate is swung outwardly and the ball permitted to drop into the groove the key-lever drops by gravity to its normal position.

The cap-piece A is provided with upwardlyprojecting perforated bosses at, one perpendicularly above the upper end of each of the ball-carrying arms (Z. Each of the perforated bosses is fitted with a headed gravitating-pin a These pins are thrown up when one or more of the keys are depressed, as seen in full lines, Fi s. 1 and 3; but when the gate H is swung outwardly to release the balls and allow them to roll into the grooves of the reg istering-tray arm 62 drops to the position shown in dotted line and the pin or pins which have been held up drop by gravity and bar the rear ends of the tray-grooves, thus preventing the balls being rolled back and into the cabinet (not shown) should any one swing the gate outwardly by its lever and at the same time tilt the front of the case.

In the m odificaii on shown i n. Fig. 3 the parts are substantially the same with the exception of the ball-tripping devices. In this form there are a number of arms G, pivoted on a transverse rod 9 the opposite ends of which are fixed in the opposite side pieces A. These arms swing through notches in the end web or partition a and each is held by a coiled spring g in the position shown. These springs have their lower ends connected to a transverse rod g which is fixed in the sides A, and their upper ends each connected to an arm extending inwardly from each of the arms G. A gravity-detent g is pivoted to each one of these arms and the front of the arm is formed with a cam 9 Then any of the keys are depressed, the. ball is thrown up and striking against the cam g throws the lower end of the arm G inward, allows the ball to pass up, and in its upward movement throws up the detent g, which, dropping back to its place, prevents the ball and arm (:1 from dropping to its lower position until the ball is discharged into the groove of the registertray. In this case the lever-arm D has a downwardly-projecting leg (1 which is intended to catch upon a spring-pressed gate and be held in the upper position, exposing the tablet (Z to View until the gate (not shown) is swung from under the arm, when the arm drops to the position shown in dotted line. This arrangement on the lever-arm D, with its depending leg (I and swinging gate, is well known, is shown in Patent No. 532,924 and others, and need not therefore be specifically described.

So long as the keys are held depressed the tablet (1 will remain in sight, and they will be held depressed by the ball until the gate is swung outward to release it. To swing the gate, I have provided a lever K, which is pivoted upon a stud in the side of the machine, and connected said lever by a link to the lower arm of a bell-crank lever 70 The lever is pivoted in the side of the cap A and has its forward end it in its normal position bearing against the inside Wall of the gate H, as shown in dotted line, Fig. 2. By swinging the lever K back to the position shown in dotted line, Fig. 1, the nose of the arm k will press the gate outward against the pressure of its spring, when the ball will roll down into the groove in the tray and to its forward end. The bell-crank lever and lever K are returned to their normal position by a coil-spring 7t, which is connected to the arm of the bell-crank lever and to a lug depending down from the cap-piece A.

At the forward end of each groove in the register-trayis a ball-gate e to retain the balls in the groove until such time as it is desired to release them, when the gate is elevated and the balls allowed to pass down into the reservoir or tube 0. These gates may all be pivoted upon a vertical movable bar, so that each may be raised independently of the other or all of them simultaneously elevated to release the balls in all the grooves of the register-tray; but this feature is also known and forms no part of my present invention.

I have shown two forms embodying my invention; but it is obvious that other mechanical changes may be made without departing from its principle or scope.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination in a cash-register of the character described of the supporting-frame,

a forwardly-inclined register-tray in the top thereof having indexed grooves to receive tally-balls at their rear ends, rearwardly-inclined tubes below the forward ends of said grooves to receive balls released from said grooves, key-levers pivoted in the supporting-frame having upwardly-extended arms at their rear ends provided with jaws or receptacles to receive one ball at a time from the rearwardly-inclined tubes or reservoirs and carry said ball up to the register-tray when a key is depressed, tripping devices such as shown interposed in the path of the passing ball to be thrown up by the ball as it passes and drop back of the ball after it has passed and prevent the lever-arm returning to its normal position until the ball is released to register the purchase, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a cash-register the combination of the frame, the forwardly and downwardly inclined tray having register-grooves in it to receive the tally-balls,a rearwardly and downwardly inclined receptacle or tube underneath the register-grooves in the tray to re ceive the released balls and carry them back intothe grasp of the key-lever, the key-lever having an upwardly-extended arm to pass the rear end of said receptacle and jaws to receive one tally-ball at a time from the receiving-tube said arm being slotted to pass the detents of the tripping mechanism, the tripping mechanism having detents to enter the groove in the lever-arm to be actuated by the tally-ball when the lever-arm is thrown up and to drop beneath the ball and prevent the retraction of the arm until the ball is deposited in the register-groove, a gate to retain the ball and lever-arm in its upper position, and mechanism such as described to swing the gate, release the ball and allow the lever-arm to drop to its normal position, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination in a cash-register of the frame, inclined register-tray mounted in the top thereof having graduated grooves to receive tally-balls, a receptacle underneath each groove to receive the balls from the tray when released and convey said balls to a position to be grasped by the key-lever arm, the key lever arm longitudinally slotted and having jaws at its upper end to receive the balls from the receptacle one at a time, a pivoted arm to pass'into the groove of the key-lever arm, a spring to hold said pivoted arm in its normal position in the groove, a stop carried by said pivoted arm to prevent the elevation of the key-lever unless the ball is carried by it,

said arm having cam-surface to be actuated by the ball when the lever-arm is elevated to allow the ball to pass the detents to prevent the arm from dropping back until the ball is discharged into the register-groove, a swinging gate over the rear end of the registergrooves to prevent the balls from passing into the grooves and hold the lever-arm in its upper position, a lever to throw the gate and release the balls, and a spring to return the IQ gate to its normal position, substantially as shown and described.

GEO. R. ELLIS. Witnesses:

L. M. STRIDER, S A. MITCHEL. 

